This invention relates to rail mounted temperature scanners and more particularly to a housing for mounting such scanners to a railroad rail which permits ready adjustment of the scanning angle.
It is known to monitor the temperature of the wheels and the wheel bearing of freight railway cars to detect overheating conditions and thereby determine if a wheel or a wheel bearing failure is imminent. Such failures, of course, may be disastrous. A wheel scanner is known in the art as a "hot wheel detector" while a bearing scanner is known as a "hot box detector." Monitoring apparatus for monitoring these temperatures includes an infrared sensor and associated optics mounted within a housing, the sensor measuring the difference between an ambient temperature, such as the bottom of a railway car, and that of the wheel or of the bearing. There may be a shutter mechanism to prevent dust and dirt from entering and contacting the optics or the scanner during periods of inactivity such as when a train is not passing. Other assemblies may be included as part of the scanner, such as a moisture and snow removal heater or, as accessories which turn the system on, determine the speed and direction of the train and other required functions, and analyze and convey the temperature information from the scanner to the train engineer, and may include an alarm when an overheating condition is reported.
The housing within which the scanner of a hot box detector is mounted includes clamping elements for clamping the housing to a rail of the railroad track. The housing is clamped to position the scanner outboard of the rail. In the case of a hot box detector, the scanner geometry may be such as to be an outboard scanner designed to scan the bearing end cap and the outer seal ring of a bearing housing or may be an inboard scanner designed to scan the inner seal ring area of the bearing housing. The hot wheel detectors in the prior art have been mounted off the rail by approximately 8 feet and scan horizontally at an angle to view the wheels at both sides of the train.
The scanners must be correctly and consistently aimed at the wheel or the wheel bearing during train passage. The scanners are located on the outside or outboard of the rail and aimed upwardly at an angle to a certain point above the rail and from the gauge of the rail. In the prior art, in order to adjust the aiming of the scanner, the housing cover and a plate had to be removed and shims inserted. This procedure is time consuming and may not be totally accurate or reliable.